Horace Tapscott

The Tapscott Sessions Vol. 1 (Solo Piano) (NS-1581)

The Tapscott Sessions Vol. 1 (Solo Piano) View larger

1982

The Tapscott Sessions Vol. 1 (Solo Piano)

Horace Tapscott

Nimbus West

NS-1581

LPS 163157

NS-1581

JAZZ

1

Currently unavailable

LP 29,98 €

THE TAPSCOTT SESSIONS

These recordings on the Nimbus label (seven volume), feature a mixture of Tapscott's compositions, works by unknown composers in the Los Angeles area, and those of more noted writers. They give an intimate glimpse of the man and his musical mind and document the ebullient approach to improvising that characterized his work.

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THE TAPSCOTT SESSIONS VOLUME 1 - RECORDED IN JUNE 1982

Tapscott was a unique pianist from an improvisational viewpoint. He used a melodic base as a foundation, but he was able to spring from that platform into music that was removed from the constraints of structure. He adeptly maintained a semblance of lyricism within a free verse stance to tie the threads together. This was most evident on compositions by him, and Volume 1 (June 1982) features three of his tunes that capture the essence of this concept. "Jenny's Spirit's Waltz", which opens the record, certainly has that captivating quality. It draws one into the melody line and then whisks one off in a semi-turbulent storm cloud while the refrain of the theme still lurks in the mind. His touch on the keys was not excessively percussive, yet he brought out thunderous resonance to disrupt the quietude before reverting to an intricate calming mode. With standards, such as the Howard Dietz-Arthur Schwartz gem "Alone Together", Tapscott infused this same dichotomic philosophy by honoring the theme while making the piece fully Tapscott-ian in improvisational development. The recording closes with a ten-minute search of the soul on "Haunted", where Tapscott does exactly that to one's mind set with his alternating refrain/exploration construction.

TRACKS:

  • A1. Jenny's Spirit's Waltz
  • A2. Speedy Mike
  • A3. Mother Ship
  • B1. This Is For Benny
  • B2. Alone together
  • B3. Haunted